330 Mauritz Bäärnhielm 5. The peril comes true The era of greatness for the Swedish Nobility was the time fromthe death of Charles XII in 1718 until Gustavus Ill’s second coup d’état in 1789. It is not a mere chance that the end of this golden period (for Riddarhuset and the Nobility) coincides with the French Revolution. There was at the same time a sort of revolution also in Sweden, but it was not made by the third Estate nor by the fourth but by the King himself! The king, Gustavus III, was the nephew of Frederic II of Prussia. And that gives us a key to understanding the character of the Swedish King. 1788-89 the King and his country were in a very bad situation relating to foreign politics. Reluctantly the King summoned Parliament. The King presented to Parliament a newconstitution (Förenings- och säkerhetsakten) and a balanced budget. The new act gave the three commoner estates newprivileges but deprived the Nobility of many of its economic and social privileges. (The Nobility kept its status as the first Estate in Parliament.) The act also gave the King almost absolute power. The four Estates had a common session in the Royal palace, where the king was the president but also the reporter. The session (17.2.1789) was very dramatic. The Nobility voted no. Then the King ordered the Nobility to leave the session. After a few seconds of uncertainty the Noblity marched out under the guidance of Count Axel von Fersen Sr. The newconstitution was dated on the 3rd of April 1789.’^ After that Parliament had to decide in the budget matter. Here the King demanded unlimited power. The Nobility - alone - said no.^^ Before the session was finished the King entered the House - without escort - saying he was descendent of the old Kings of Vasa and the first nobleman of the realm. He took the seat of the speaker and led the deliberations in the direction he wanted. The King thanked for the consent - which had not been given! He dictated the decision to the recorder and left the House. - Three years later the King was murdered in the Opera house after a conspiracy inside the Nobility. As a memory of these events the Swedish constitution of 1809 stated that Parliament was forbidden to make any decisions in the presence of the King.'^ In the shadow of the Napoleonic wars great changes occured also in the Nordic countries. At a plenumin this house on the 8th of May 1809 the revolutionary officer Jacob Cederströmstated the password: “First Constitution, afterwards King!” It has been said that this day is the turning-point of the modern Swedish constitutional history.'^ Two days later Parliament deposed the King (Gustavus IVAdolphus). The new constitution was dated the 6th of June 1809. The same day a new King (Charles XIII) was proclaimed. Grimberg, Öden VII p. 397. Grimberg, ibid. p. 400. Regeringsformen 1809 §55. Cf. S.O.U. 1963:17, p. 508. Erik Fahlbeck, Sveriges Riksdag VIII, 1934, p. 31.
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